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Ultrastructural and autoradiographic studies of non-generative cells in the antheridium of Chara vulgaris L. III. Shield cells.

Shield cells form the antheridium envelopes. At the first stage of spermatogenesis they grow intensively in the tangential direction, which is stopped during the period of spermatozoid differentiation. The increase in shield cell volumes is associated with the increase in DNA level in the nucleus up to 16-32 C. 3H thymidine incorporation occurs in about 30% of shields at younger developmental stages and lasts until the stage in which 16 celled antheridial filaments predominate. At first stage of spermatogenesis the intensity of 3H leucine incorporation increases as DNA amount in the nuclei increases, reaching the maximum value at the end of this period. During spermiogenesis it gradually decreases. Shield nuclei are characterized by low content of condensed chromatin, the presence of numerous nucleoli with nucleolonema-like structure as well as the occurrence of bands of intranuclear microtubules. It has been suggested that these microtubules are associated with cyclical changes in the shapes of nuclei. During DNA replication the nuclei have the form of flat discs which between successive endoreplication cycles become ring shaped. Peripheral zone of shield cells is compartmentalized through incomplete walls. They support the radial walls of shields increasing the contact surface of plasmalemma with a cell wall. During spermiogenesis the increase in plasmalemma surface results from the growth of shields in the radial direction. The shield cells contain plastids placed close to each other at the inner tangential wall. They are orange in colour and have fully formed system of grana and intergrana thylakoids, like the plastids of the thallus. The number and sizes of the plastoglobules increase as the anteridium develops. Dictiosomes are surrounded with numerous smooth and coated vesicles. Mitochondria exhibit poorly condensed structure. Microbodies adjoining the plastids are sporadically encountered. It has been assumed that changes in structural organization as well as growth character of shield cells constitute the factor regulating the exchange with external environment, determine light spectrum penetrating to the antheridium and the volume of antheridial space.

Autoradiography↗

Cell volume and peptide hormone secretion.

In general way cell swelling evokes and shrinking inhibits exocytosis of proteins and peptides stored in secretory vesicles from various types of cells. Dynamics of this type of hormone secretion is indistinguishable from that induced by specific secretagogue. Peculiarities of swelling-induced secretion indicate an involvement of the unique signaling pathway. Hyposmotic stimulation of insulin secretion is independent from the extra- and intracellular Ca(2+), does not involve other intracellular mediators of glucose stimulation, and could not be inhibited by noradrenaline. Swelling-induced peptide secretion is not essential for cell volume control. Hyposmotic stimulation is a useful research tool when natural or pharmacological secretagogue is unknown: Thyrotropin releasing hormone release from the heart slices, pancreatic islets and various brain structures was characterized by the stimulation by hypotonic medium. Swelling-induced exocytosis possesses limited selectivity; cells involved in water and salt regulation retain their specific response to osmotic stimuli; hypotonic medium evokes thyrotropin releasing hormone but not oxytocin (OT) release from hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus. Specific response (release after hyperosmotic stimulation) of intranuclear OT secretion in the paraventricular nucleus and the supraoptic nucleus could be obviated by GdCl(3) and at these conditions OT release to swelling-inducing stimuli emerged. Swelling-induced hormone secretion can have pathophysiological implications. For example, a shift to anaerobic glycolysis and production of metabolites occurring in ischemia results in the increased intracellular osmolarity and cell swelling. Peptides and proteins released after swelling could play an important role in the pathophysiology of ischemia and be mediators of local or remote preconditioning when factors released at the place of ischemia have protective effect against ischemia-reperfusion injury. Moreover, the ischemic disruption of the osmotic receptors could result in a syndrome of inappropriate hormone secretion.

Adaptation, Physiological↗

Crosstalk in the magnocellular system during osmotic stimulation of one supraoptic nucleus.

Neural connections linking the four magnocellular nuclei, i.e., the paired supraoptic (SON) and paraventricular (PVN) nuclei, may contribute to the simultaneous and parallel changes in firing patterns of oxytocinergic neurons during reflex milk ejection. To investigate these neural connections in the absence of suckling, intranuclear release of oxytocin (OT) was stimulated by microdialysis of hypertonic CSF containing 1 M NaCl (HS-CSF) into the right SON area and glucose metabolism of both SONs and PVNs and the neural lobe of virgin and lactating (10-12 day) rats was mapped by the autoradiographic [14C]deoxyglucose (DG) method. OT in the microdialysates and in plasma, obtained before and after 80-90 min of dialysis with CSF or HS-CSF, was quantified by RIA. In both virgin and lactating rats, microdialysis of HS-CSF unilaterally into the SON area significantly (p < 0.05) increased release of OT in the nucleus and into plasma, which was associated with enhanced (p < 0.05) metabolic activity in the ipsilateral and contralateral SON and the neural lobe but not in either PVN. Compared with virgins, lactating rats were less active, had lower (p < 0.05) glucose utilization in the hypothalamo-neurohypophysial system, and less (p < 0.05) OT in plasma during microdialysis of HS-CSF into the SON area. The osmotic stimulus did not activate neural structures (suprachiasmatic and medial amygdaloid nuclei) near the SON in either hemisphere. Thus, neural connections or, less likely, transport of OT via the subarachnoid space, may function to recruit activation of cells in the contralateral SON following hypertonic stimulation of cells in the other SON.

Animals↗

Activation of extracellular signal-regulated protein kinases is associated with a sensitized locomotor response to D(2) dopamine receptor stimulation in unilateral 6-hydroxydopamine-lesioned rats.

Evidence indicates that mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathways play a crucial role in the neurobiology of the nervous system. In the present study, dopamine receptor-mediated regulation of extracellular signal-regulated kinases (ERKs) was examined in rats in which the nigrostriatal dopaminergic pathway was unilaterally lesioned by 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA). Subcutaneous injections of the D(2) receptor agonist quinpirole significantly increased tyrosine-phosphorylated ERK1/2 in lesioned striatum, whereas the D(1) receptor agonist SKF38393 failed to activate ERKs. Quinpirole-induced phosphorylation of ERK1/2 was seen as early as 3 min and peaked at 15 min after the challenge. In parallel, striatal ERK kinase activity, measured by the in vitro kinase assay, was increased 2.5-fold on the lesioned side after the administration of quinpirole. Immunohistochemical examination of brain sections after quinpirole administration revealed significant increases in ERK1/2 immunostaining in perinuclear and intranuclear areas of striatal neurons. This increase was much more pronounced on the lesioned than the intact side. Furthermore, quinpirole-induced contralateral rotation was decreased by 48.7 and 50.7%, respectively, when the striatal ERK pathway was selectively inhibited by a single intrastriatal injection of the MAPK/ERK kinase inhibitor PD098059 or after a continuous 7 d intrastriatal infusion of ERK1/2 antisense oligodeoxynucleotide. The results demonstrate, for the first time, that the ERK signaling pathway is activated in denervated striatum in response to stimulation of D(2) dopamine receptors and that the resulting imbalance in striatal ERK activity contributes, at least in part, to neuronal plasticity that underlies D(2) dopamine receptor-mediated contralateral rotation in unilateral 6-OHDA denervated rats.

2,3,4,5-Tetrahydro-7,8-dihydroxy-1-phenyl-1H-3-ben↗

Poly-(L-alanine) expansions form core beta-sheets that nucleate amyloid assembly.

Expansion to a total of 11-17 sequential alanine residues from the normal number of 10 in the polyadenine-binding protein nuclear-1 (PABPN1) results in formation of intranuclear, fibrillar inclusions in skeletal muscle and hypothalamic neurons in adult-onset, dominantly inherited oculopharyngeal muscular dystrophy (OPMD). To understand the role that homopolymeric length may play in the protein misfolding that leads to the inclusions, we analyzed the self-assembly of synthetic poly-(L-alanine) peptides having 3-20 residues. We found that the conformational transition and structure of polyalanine (polyAla) assemblies in solution are not only length-dependent but also are determined by concentration, temperature, and incubation time. No beta-sheet complex was detected for those peptides characterized by n < 8, where n is number of alanine residues. A second group of peptides with 7 < n < 15 showed varying levels of complex formation, while for those peptides having n > 15, the interconversion process from the monomeric to the beta-sheet complex was complete under any of the tested experimental conditions. Unlike the typical tinctorial properties of amyloid fibrils, polyalanine fibrils did not show fluorescence with thioflavin T or apple-green birefringence with Congo red; however, like amyloid, X-ray diffraction showed that the peptide chains in these fibrils were oriented normal to the fibril axis (i.e., in the cross-beta arrangement). Neighboring beta-sheets are quarter-staggered in the hydrogen-bonding direction such that the alanine side-chains were closely packed in the intersheet space. Strong van der Waals contacts between side-chains in this arrangement likely account for the high stability of the macromolecular fibrillar complex in solution over a wide range of temperature (5-85 degrees C), and pH (2-10.5), and its resistance to denaturant (< 8 M urea) and to proteases (protease K, trypsin). We postulate that a similar stabilization of an expanded polyalanine stretch could form a core beta-sheet structure that mediates the intermolecular association of mutant proteins into fibrillar inclusions in human pathologies.

Amyloid↗

Plasmalogens in rat liver chromatin: new molecules involved in cell proliferation.

A minor component of chromatin, the phospholipid fraction, changes during cell cycle as result of the activation of intranuclear lipid metabolism enzymes including phosphatidylcholine-dependent phospholipase C activity. It is known that this enzyme may be activated by phosphatidylcholine plasmalogen (Plg). Until now, there has been little evidences for the presence of Plgs inside the nucleus. The aim of our study is to ascertain if they are present in the nucleus and are responsible of the activation of phosphatidylcholine-dependent phospholipase C during cell proliferation and apoptosis. Therefore, we have analysed the Plg composition of the whole homogenate, cytosol, nuclei and chromatin of hepatocytes. The phosphatidylcholine-dependent phospholipase C activity was assayed using both phosphatidylcholine and plasmalogenyl-phosphatidylcholine as substrates. Our results show, for the first time, that Plgs are present in chromatin and the plasmalogenyl-phosphatidylcholine stimulates the phosphatidylcholine-dependent phospholipase C activity more than phosphatidylcholine. Finally, in order to verify the possible role of these molecules during cell proliferation and apoptosis, we used liver of rats fed with ciprofibrate which stimulates hepatocytes proliferation during the treatment and, after withdrawal, apoptosis. After 3 days of ciprofibrate treatment, the chromatin plasmalogenyl-phosphatidylcholine increases as well as the phosphatidylcholine-dependent phospholipase C activity. After drug withdrawal, when the hepatocytes undergo to apoptosis, the plasmalogenyl-phosphatidylcholine content together with phosphatidylcholine-dependent phospholipase C activity decreases. Therefore, it can be concluded that plamalogens are present in the chromatin, and probably may have a function both in regulating phosphatidylcholine dependent phospholipase C and cell cycle.

Animals↗